Method and apparatus for burning hydrocarbons



Spt. 18,1923.- Lwwzn v W. M. HOFFMAN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BURNING HYDROCAHB ONS Filed July 16. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 h "In 311 um n [on l/av/man Sept. 18, 1923. mfiwm W. M. HOFFMAN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BURNING HYDROCARBONS Filed July 16. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VWI'LLIAM M. iiorrMAN, or Besm 'm YORK, Assienon, Br MESNE nssren- Patented Sept. 18, 1923.

r a i news Fre -t i i ht? tenure, To on, FUEL nixi'a-rnnnzairieconronnrron, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

MET OD AND 'nrrasa'rns non noanrne iirnnocnnnoivs.

Application filed July 16,

. and useful Improvement in Methods and Apparatus forBurning Hydrocarbons, and declare thefollowing to he a full, clear, and .exact description of tllQ-SELIDG; such as will enable others skilled. in the-art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a. part of this specifi cation.

. My inventionjrelates to the process and apparatusfor burning a carbonaceous mixture carrying a substantial fhydrocarbon content, or, in'other words, a substantially solid. hyd'rocarbonaceous fuel, such as oil shale; coal in the form of coal dust,-culm, or broken-up pieces of: coal, -whichcoalhas ,been saturated with oilorthe tarry residual ,matter produced in the distillation .of-oil. By thussatura-ting; the carbonaceous mate- I trial with oil or" the residual: matter from burner the fuel. burns the distillation of oil, the volatile content ofthe coal is substantially increased and the flashing point of the fuel is lowered-and.

.it responds very satisfactorily to. the treat mentherein described, I I i i The burner herein shown is" a preferred form of burner designed to utilize the. character of fuel above referred. to, and in which in an effidient, thorough fashion.

The object of my method and the ap paratus herein set forth as being particularly adaptable for the accomplishment of such method is to provide animprover. method and apparatus for utilizing in a thoroughly satisfactory and efficient manner the character of fuel herein above re ferred to. i

A source of inexpensive'fuel would be coal dust or culm saturated with a mixture of the residual tarry matter resulting from oil distillation and fuel oil. I have found bituminous coal which carries a substantial per cent of volatile products when saturated with a small per cent of fuel oil and oil distillate to be a very satisfactory fuel for this type of burner.

These and other objects, together with details of construction of the apparatus, and of the various steps of the process will more ful y a p ar fr m the follo ee I scribing the construction of 1921. erial N0. 485,193.

description, appended claims and accom panying drawings, in which the construction of the apparatus is shown.

In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is an end elevation of my burner. Fi 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2- 2- of Fig 1.

F 3 is a cross-section take-non the line 3-42 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view partly broken away. It is thought thatan understanding of my invention will be facilitated by first dethe apparatus shown'in the drawings.

I provide a receptacle (4 for containing fuel, built in the form of a hopper, the

lower portion 7) of which is shaped to serve as a casing adapted to contain a hollow grate 0 around the exterior surface of which grate the coal contained in the casing is disposed, and *upon the interior surface of which grate such coal is burned.

A preferable form of grate construction.

. s that of the hollow cylinder provided with grate. bars clwhich extend parallel the of the grate and are spaced apart from each other such a distance, that the fuel supported thereon will not pass readily therethrough into the interior ofthe grate but will be supported about its exterior surface: This grate is suitably supportedfor rotation.

An end band c supports grate bars at one end and has a hearing in the casing wall, as shown. Aspid'erf supports the opposite ends of the grate bars. This spider is secured to a; hollow shaft 7 to rotate therewith, and is mounted in a circumferential bearing in the casing wall, as shown.

The shaft 9 is provided with a suitable bearing 9 and is driven by means of a large gear 7t keyed to such shaft, which gear is engage with a driving pinion i which pinioii is keyed on a drive shaft 76. A suitable bearing for the drive shaft is indicated as m. Suitably supported within the hollow shaft, preferably. spaced therefrom, is a nozzle a which leads from a source of steam supply, not shown herein, or a source of supply of air under pressure if it is desired to use air, by means of which a jet of vapor can be projected coaxially into the interior of the grate toward the open end thereof. As sh n n the d a g, the ate is Opel} at the end supported by the band 6. The cas ing wall adjacent this open end of the grate is formed with a flaring mouth through which the flame and heatof the burner are. projected to be utilized: as may be desired. I l/Iy method consists .in supporting fuel I around the exterior of this hollow grate 0 plete. My burner is of such a character,

however, that-the quantity of fuel in the burner exposes a maxim-um surface to combustion and the constant supply of oxygen and hydrogen in-the form of highly heated steam, and the heating of the mass of fuel duringthe combustion vaporizes the more volatile portions which escape into the 1nteri orof the grateand are consumed. The

- remainder of the fuel breaks down due. to

"the combustion,

volatilizes and is also burned.

If'so desired, the grate maybe rotated through the means provided at the rate of speedfound most desirable for the'c'hara'cter of fuel used.

, varied.

jet intotheend of said grate opposite the open end. 7 j

2. In a'burner, a receptacle for containing I fuel, a hollow, cylindrical, rotatably-mounted grate positioned within said receptacle in such a manner that the fuel will be disposed around the exterior surface of the grate,

open at one end, a steam jet projecting nozstruction of apparatus might be widely ZIGf'POSl-tlQHGd in the opposite rend of said grate; I

3. In a burner, the combination with an outer combustion-chamber in the fOIfIll-Df a hopper terminating at the bottom in a cylindrical portion, of a hollow perforate ylindri l combus ion cham o at y supported in the cylindrical portion of the outer chamber :to provide an annular fuel space between said inner and outerchjambers, and means for, creating a forced draft in said inner chamber; I

4:. In a burner, the "combination with a fuel chamber, of a hollow cylindrical grate revolvably supported interior said chain-her to provide an annular fuel chamber around the grate, hollow drive shaft'engag'ing one end of said grate for rotation, and means for projecting a vapor jet through said shaft into said grate. r w

'5, In a burner, thecom'binationwith a fuel chamber, of ja hollow perforate c'yli-ndrical combustion chamber Frevolvabl-y sup ported Within said fuel chamberto provide a, fuel space therearound interior the :fuel' chamber, ahollow drive shaft engaging one end of said combustion chamber for rotation, V I and a tubular jet extending ;through' said It is apparent that this particular con-' hollow shaft to project a vapor jet into sa -id combustion chambenf v i 6; In a burner, theicom'binati'on with a fuel chamber having a; fuel inlet and {an opening for-the discharge of products of combustion, 0f a hollow grate comprising a plurality of spaced-apart longitudinally-53x tending grate bars, which grate is *p'ositioned interlor vsa d fuel chamber to provide a fuel space around the grate within the chamber, said grate open at one end to discharge products of combustion through the discharge opening of the fuel chamber, and

grate from the opposite end.

' WILLIAM HOFFMAN.

means for projecting a vapor {jet intosaid I In testimony whereof, I Slgl'l'thlS specification. a means for rotat ng said grate, said grate. 

